Paesi Bassi

Informazione paesi

Paesi Bassi

1. International Family Mediation

Family mediation, in the Netherlands, is used by the courts, commonly implemented and encouraged by the State through the system of legal aid. The Dutch Code of Civil Procedure stipulates that the judge can advise mediation in all civil cases, which include family cases.

International family mediation is provided by the Mediation Bureau which is an independent part of the International Child Abduction Center (IKO) working in joint consultation with the Ministry of Safety and Justice and the Council for the Judiciary. It organises and coordinates cross-border mediations in international child abduction cases, international contact cases and requests for relocation.

2. International Legal Framework

1) The Netherlands is a Party to the 1980 Hague Convention.

The 1980 Hague Convention: a multilateral treaty which provides procedural guidelines on the return of children and their protection in cases of international parental child abduction.

The 1996 Hague Convention: a multilateral treaty which determines jurisdiction, applicable law, co-operation in respect of parental responsibility and access rights, as well as civil and public measures for the protection or care of children.

Brussels IIA: a legal instrument of the European Union to help resolve family disputes involving more than one country, over divorce, all parental responsibilities and, in particular, the custody of children. Brussels IIA is a regulation applicable to all European Union Member states (except Denmark). The regulation prevails over the 1996 Hague Convention in cases where the child’s habitual residence is within a European Union Member state (except Denmark). Please be aware that if a decision on access and/or custody rights is taken by a court from the European Union, the regulation foresees that a State Party to the 1996 Hague Convention must recognise the court decision.

Contact the Central Authority established in the Netherlands designated under the 1996 Hague Convention for cases of dispute concerning cross-border parental responsibilities and rights of contact with children (operational languages: Dutch, English and French).

Cordaid Netherlands encourages cooperative entrepreneurship of people with low incomes. Cordaid Netherlands supports initiatives for cooperative entrepreneurship with knowledge and coaching, and access to expertise, networks and, if necessary, funding. You can contact them directly here.

Home-Start Netherlands is a non-profit organisation providing home-visiting and practical assistance to young families experiencing difficulties. Its volunteers offer free-of-charge and confidential support to parents. You can find its scheme in your region here (website in Dutch).

4. Child Welfare Services

Familiegroepsplan is a plan drawn on a local level by families for protection and development of children and youths. If you need a professional support in developing such a familiegroepsplan, you can find a facilitator in your region directly here (website is in Dutch).

William Schrikker Groep (WSG) consists different units which provide help and support to children with a disability and to children with parents with a disability. You can contact them directly here (website is in Dutch).

5. Support to Bi-National Couples, Cross-Cultural and Migrant Families

Amsterdam Mamas is a volunteer-run foundation providing information and support to international parents in Amsterdam and the surrounding regions. You can read their articles or contact them directly here.

Defence for Children in the Netherlands (DCI-Netherlands) is a non-profit organisation that has a child club “We Stay” for children without a residence permit. Despite having a strong connection to the Netherlands, these children are constantly at risk of being deported back to their country of origin, which would harm their development. You can contact them directly here (website is in Dutch).

Nidos is an independent family guardian organisation which provides supervision for foreign families who are not doing well with regard to the education of a child. A minor can be placed under supervision by a juvenile court and will be referred to a family guardianship, who provides support for the child and parents. You can contact them directly here.

In case of parental child abduction, please contact, a European hotline 116 000, run by the International Child Abduction Center (IKO), which supports missing children and families with free and immediate psychosocial, legal and administrative support 24/7. 116 000 is part of Missing Children Europe, a federation of 31 supporting structures in 27 countries of Europe.

On the Government of the Netherlands website, you can find useful information on different topics concerning, for example, marriage, divorce, child protection, international child abduction, etc.

Veilig Thuis is a hotline providing confidential, free of charge and 24/7 support and counselling for victims of domestic violence and child abuse (website is in Dutch, operational language is Dutch).

Villa Pinedo is a platform providing counselling to children and youths of divorced parents through their forum or “buddy” support (website is in Dutch).

Expatica is the international community’s online resource for English-speaking expatriates across Europe. Expatica provides a tailored local news service and essential information on living, working, and moving to your country of choice.

Useful brochures / Documents of reference:

Useful guides for parents concerning mediation practice and child abduction prevention can be found in our Library.